Human Rights Council hears from 19 dignitaries on second day of the high-level segment

MORNING

GENEVA (27 February 2018) - The Human Rights Council this morning continued its high-level segment, hearing statements from 19 dignitaries, who highlighted the role of the Council and its mechanisms in the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly its early warning capacities, and national efforts to do the same.

Karl Erjavec, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, called for the use of early warning capacities in the context of the prevention pillar of the responsibility to protect.  He recognized the essential role played by civil society organizations and acknowledged the link between peace, security and human rights.  

Marija Pejčinović Burić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, noted that the essential precondition for achieving a constructive climate in the Council was avoiding isolation, selectivity and a one-sided approach to some topics, such as singling out only one country under a separate item on the Council’s agenda.  

Martin Stropnický, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechia, emphasized that as a founding member of the Council, and a contender for Council membership in 2019-2021, Czechia had been fully supporting efforts to reform the Council.  Having undergone its third Universal Period Review, its paid special attention to the right to participate in public affairs.  

Alfonso María Dastis Quecedo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain, noted that the Council had to pay attention to the gravest violations of human rights.  Spain would focus on the issues of potable water and sanitation, maintain its firm position against the death penalty, and highlight the rights of human rights defenders.

Mostapha Ramid, Minister of State for Human Rights of Morocco, stated that Morocco was working to strengthen the rights of migrants and refugees, and to improve their access to healthcare.  The King of Morocco had launched an ambitious initiative to deal with questions of migration in Africa, seeking to highlight migration as a motto for development.  

Aishath Shiham, Minister of Education of Maldives, informed the Council about the most recent political events in Maldives that had shown that further democratic consolidation was needed.  Maldives had provided leadership within the alliance of small island States on issues such as trade, sustainable development and climate change.

Alan Peter S. Cayetano, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, underlined the fundamental obligation of States to maintain peace and order, adding that criminal organizations were seriously hurting common people.  The Minister emphasized that a human rights perspective was included in the national development agenda as people yearned for a comfortable life.  

Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, noted that education was a top priority of Azerbaijan’s domestic policy because a well-established educated society was one of the guarantees of successful and sustainable development.  Human rights and sustainable development were complementary and mutually reinforcing.

Kyaw Tin, Minister of International Co-operation of Myanmar, stated that the situation in Myanmar was so complex that it was beyond the comprehension of many outsiders.  The Government had inherited the world’s longest running internal conflicts, and deep-rooted ethnic and communal divides.  The world was focusing on the situation in Rakhine state, partially because the media incessantly portrayed it as a religious issue.  

Ziyambi Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe, expressed firm belief that continued interaction with the Human Rights Council would allow Zimbabwe to meet its human rights obligations.  The session coincided with historic improvements in the lives of young people in Zimbabwe, and the adoption of a national action plan to implement recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review.  

Luwellyn Landers, Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, expressed hope that the Council would honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela and his fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, poverty and inequality.  The Council had a duty to focus on poverty eradication; if it faltered on economic, social and cultural rights, it would undermine its progress on civil and political rights.  

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, expressed full support for the Secretary-General’s zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations, and for multilateral development.  He also underlined the importance of gender equality and freedom of religion, noting that more than 130 million girls were still out of school.  

Ivan Korčok, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, commended High Commissioner Zeid for leading the battle for human dignity.  The fight against racism, xenophobia, freedom of religion and children’s rights were priorities of Slovakia’s membership in the Council.  In 2019 as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Chairmanship in office, Slovakia would strive to enhance respect for human rights.  

Miguel Ruiz Cabañas, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico, stated that the search for a more prosperous world was behind Mexico’s actions in the United Nations.  International scrutiny was welcomed as it reinforced human rights implementation, and Mexico took seriously the recommendations of human rights mechanisms.  

Yousef A. Al Othaimeen, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said that he expressed the yearnings and hopes of more than 1.5 billion Muslims from 57 countries around the world that the Council would act swiftly on a range of human rights issues that were affecting their lives.  The Council should deploy greater efforts to ensure equal attention to all rights.  

Hirut Zemene Kassa, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, said Ethiopia had enhanced its efforts to consolidate socio-economic achievements that had impacted the human rights’ record.  The Second National Human Rights Action Plan had been implemented, including the recommendations accepted from members of the Council in two previous cycles of the Universal Periodic Review.  

Ahmed Abdulrahman Al-Jarman, Assistant Minister for Human Rights and International Law of the United Arab Emirates, stated that his country had continued to adopt strategies and plans aimed at the empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities, and strengthening education.  It also worked to strengthen labour rights, particularly in domestic labour, and the presence of women in political, social and economic decision-making centres.

Darius Skusevičius, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, voiced his concern about the general trend of deterioration of respect for human rights in conflict and crisis-affected regions and in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes.  Refusal by countries to cooperate with United Nations Special Procedures was one of the manifestations of this very alarming trend.  

Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union, reminded that the African Union and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had signed a memorandum of understanding, which allowed ensuring better protection and promotion of the human rights of people in Africa.  Nevertheless, several African countries continued to be the scene of violent conflicts, and witnessed an increased number of stateless persons, asylum seekers, refugees and other irregular migrants.  

The Human Rights Council is holding a full day of meetings today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  At noon, it will continue with its high-level segment.

High-Level Segment

KARL ERJAVEC, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, said Slovenia remained fully devoted to the work of the Human Rights Council and would work with all States and the United Nations system to protect fundamental rights.  Slovenia recognized the essential role played by civil society organizations and acknowledged the link between peace, security and human rights.  The Council was responsible for responding effectively and efficiently to the human rights needs of all and played an essential preventative role in international peace and security.  Slovenia called for the use of early warning capacities in the context of the prevention pillar of the responsibility to protect.  Mr. Erjavec condemned systematic violence in Syria and said Slovenia was closely following events in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Ukraine, and was concerned over rights violations in South Sudan.  Slovenia also expressed deep concern over the plight of the Rohingya population.  Slovenia was focusing on issues related to the rights of minority groups and the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.  With the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights nearing, he said the document remained as relevant as ever.

MARIJA PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, said that the anniversaries of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action presented a good occasion to reflect on overall global human rights development, bearing in mind that respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law had always been a precondition for long-term stability, peace and development.  Croatia had been devotedly implementing its already highest standards in the area of human rights in accordance with international human rights law and relevant standards.  Croatia’s constitutional law on national minorities set the highest of standards in the promotion and protection of minorities and their rights.  Croatia fully supported the Council’s determination to engage vigorously in efforts to combat atrocities, violations and abuses of human rights, as well as barbaric acts of terrorism and armed conflicts.  Accountability for mass atrocities and bringing to justice of perpetrators and those responsible was crucial in preventing future crimes and human rights abuses.  The essential precondition for achieving a constructive climate in the Council was avoiding isolation, selectivity and one-sided approaches to some topics, such as singling out only one country under a separate item on the Council’s agenda.  Croatian foreign policy in the human rights field focused on vulnerable social groups, such as disabled persons, members of national, ethnic and religious minorities, elderly, migrants, and the poor.

MARTIN STROPNICKY, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechia, reiterated that several important anniversaries had been marked this year.  In Czech history, years ending with the number eight had been particularly important.  Czechia was celebrating one hundred years of statehood since 1918, but also the anniversary of the 1938 Munich agreement, of the 1948 iron curtain and of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet troops.  With such painful events in mind Czechia shared concern over recent developments in the world which had shown disregard for international humanitarian laws.  Freedoms could not be safeguarded when journalists were prevented from fact checking and activists who dared to speak up had been put behind bars.  As Vaclav Havel said, if freedom was denied to a single person, it was denied to all.  As a founding member of the Human Rights Council, Czechia was supporting the human rights system and efforts to reform the Human Rights Council.  Special attention was paid to the right to participate in public affairs by Czechia since 2013 and a resolution was being prepared on this issue.  Women’s rights defenders were particularly praised for their efforts.  In closing, Mr. Stropnicky said that Czechia had undergone the third Universal Period Review and this year it was running for membership in the Human Rights Council for the term 2019-2021 and countries were asked for their support.

ALFONSO MARÍA DASTIS QUECEDO, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain, reaffirmed his faith in the value of equal rights for all.  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a living document, he said, stressing that human rights were indivisible and interrelated.  Spain would continue to observe the equality and universality of human rights.  The Human Rights Council must pay attention to the gravest rights violations and Spain would take an active role in the Council.  To that end, Spain would focus on issues of potable water and sanitation and the Universal Periodic Review mechanism.  Spain would also maintain its firm position against the death penalty.  Democracy and the rule of law required a strong civil society capable of reclaiming the rights of human rights defenders.  Turning to sustainable development, the Minister said Spain would work hard in the field of human rights and business.  The participation of civil society representatives in the Council was a priority for Spain.  He underscored the desire to work for the better enjoyment of human rights in Spain and welcomed Special Procedure mandate holders to assess Spain’s record.  His Government would continue to work to ensure the Council protected and promoted rights across the world.

MOSTAPHA RAMID, Minister of State for Human Rights of Morocco, stated that the constitutional provisions dealing with human rights bodies had been implemented in Morocco, such as the setting up and extending the powers of the National Human Rights Commission, mechanisms for the prevention of torture, and complaints regarding the rights of the child.  Other priorities included fighting violence against women, trafficking in human beings, and the rights of persons with disabilities.  Morocco was also working to strengthen the rights of migrants and refugees, and to improve their access to healthcare.  The King of Morocco had launched an ambitious initiative to deal with the questions of migration in Africa, seeking to highlight migration as a motto for development.  The agreement of April 2017 aimed to put an end to the conflict in Western Sahara, reflecting the serious approach of the Government of Morocco to that regional conflict.  The Government had implemented a number of development projects in Western Sahara to improve the lives of people living in that part of Morocco.  The Minister stressed that the violations of human rights in the Tindouf camps were the responsibility of Algeria.  Turning to Palestine, Morocco supported the Palestinian identity of Jerusalem, and encouraged international efforts to pursue the two-State solution.  

AISHATH SHIHA, Minister of Education of Maldives, informed the Council about the most recent events in Maldives since 1 February.  The Supreme Court had issued a politically charged order, usurping powers of other constitutionally mandated institutions and reinstating members of Parliament who had exercised a level of judicial overreach that had been unpreceded, posing a risk to national security.  The President had declared a state of emergency and the next presidential elections were scheduled in few months.  Such periodic political crises made it clear that further democratic consolidation was needed.  At the same time, over 76,000 new jobs had been created over the past four years.  The Council was reminded that the State of Palestine continued to exist under Israel’s oppression for more than 70 years.  It was time for the international community to speak with one voice on Palestinian statehood.  Collective shame needed to be faced for the inability to alleviate the suffering in Palestine and Syria where 11 million people had been displaced.  In conclusion, it was stated that within the alliance of small island States, Maldives had provided the leadership on issues such as trade, sustainable development and climate change.

ALAN PETER S. CAZETANO, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, said fundamental rights were a pillar of the United Nations and Philippines alike.  There could be no compromise on human rights as the international community was stronger when everyone acted as one big family.  States had the fundamental obligation to maintain peace and order as drug and arms traffickers presented dangers to modern day societies.  Criminal organizations were seriously hurting common people and President Rodrigo Duterte was working to protect the rights of all citizens by launching an anti-drug campaign to maintain security, especially as terrorist groups in the region were funded by the drug trade.   A human rights perspective was included in the national development agenda as people yearned for a comfortable life.  The Government was implementing policies to protect workers abroad and to ensure law enforcement officials were not abusing power.  The Minister called for an end to the politicization of human rights.  The Philippines reaffirmed its willingness to cooperate with the Human Rights Council but said engagement had to be impartial.  The notion that a culture of impunity permeated the Philippines was false, he said, assuring freedom of the press was upheld.

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, noted that education was a top priority of Azerbaijan’s domestic policy because a well-established and educated society was one of the guarantees of successful and sustainable development.  The right to health was fully ensured in Azerbaijan, as was gender equality and access to the Internet.  The Government had reformed the criminal justice system to bring it fully in line with international human rights standards.  Azerbaijan was one of the world’s recognized centers of multiculturalism, and it had hosted numerous international events aimed at strengthening intercultural dialogue.  Human rights and sustainable development were complementary and mutually reinforcing.

Accordingly, Azerbaijan along with Georgia, Kenya, Thailand and Turkey had submitted a draft resolution, on promoting human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals through transparent, accountable and efficient public service delivery, for adoption at the current session of the Human Rights Council.  Mr. Mammadyarov reminded that Azerbaijan had suffered from some of the most notorious human rights violations due to the occupation of 20 per cent of its territory by Armenia.  More than one million Azerbaijanis had been subjected to ethnic cleansing and had been forced to leave their homes.  Regretfully, those responsible for such grave offences still enjoyed impunity and had not yet been brought to justice.  Mr. Mammadyarov urged the Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to finally ensure effective remedy for the violation of the human rights of Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons.    

KYAW TIN, Minister of International Co-operation of Myanmar, stated that the situation in Myanmar was so complex that it was beyond the comprehension of many outsiders.  The Government had inherited the world’s longest running internal conflicts, deep-rooted ethnic and communal divides.  The world was focusing on the situation in Rakhine state, partially because the media incessantly portrayed it as a religious issue.  However, it was a political and economic issue involving migration, competition over limited resources, poverty and the rule of law, and recently it had evolved from a communal conflict into a national security and terrorism issue.  The Government was committed to a sustainable solution that would lead to peace.  The State Counsellor had set up mechanisms such as the central committee on the implementation of peace, stability and development of Rakhine state, and the recommendations of Kofi Annan’s Advisory Commission were being implemented.  Little was reported in the media about Daing-net, Mro, Thet, Mramagyi and Rakhine minority groups that had to flee their homes because of violence.   Repatriation of displaced people was an immediate priority, and the Government was working with Bangladesh on the repatriation process.   Myanmar strongly objected to the use of words such as ethnic cleansing or genocide.  A call was reiterated for finding a durable solution, addressing the humanitarian situation, repatriation, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence of communities.

ZIYAMBI ZIYAMBI, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe, expressed his firm belief that continued interaction with the Human Rights Council would allow Zimbabwe to meet its human rights obligations.  His participation in the Council was a clear testament to Zimbabwe’s commitment to the body.  The current session coincided with historic improvements in the lives of young people in Zimbabwe.  Following the peaceful transition of power, Zimbabwe was working to consolidate constitutionalism.  A national economic blueprint was guiding the promotion of equitable development and prosperity for all with a view to ensure sustainable development.  To further improve the livelihood of all people in Zimbabwe, the Government was striving to enhance its promotion and protection of human rights with the consolidation of the human rights and justice delivery for enhanced voice participation programme being implemented with United Nations assistance.  The programme was set up to enhance the judicial and human rights capabilities of the Government.  Following the country’s second cycle Universal Periodic Review, a national action plan had been developed and adopted to implement the recommendations.  State party reports were also being prepared for presentation to various treaty bodies.    

LUWELLYN LANDERS, Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, reminded that in addition to the anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Programmes of Action, 2018 also marked the centenary of Nelson Mandela.  The Nelson Mandela Foundation had chosen the theme “Be the Legacy” to mark the centenary.  How could the Council become the legacy?  First, it needed to take a balanced approach to human rights, and it needed to act in a manner that reflected the Vienna spirit of the indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights.  A century since the birth of Nelson Mandela, the world still had to deal with racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, poverty and inequality.  Those could be eliminated only through collective effort and cooperation.  The Council had a duty to focus on poverty eradication.  If it faltered on economic, social and cultural rights, it would undermine its progress on civil and political rights.  One set of rights could not be ignored at the expense of the other as encapsulated in the right to development.  Mr. Landers expressed hope that the centenary would offer an opportunity to rally globally around common values, and that the Council would honour Mandela’s legacy by convening a special session on Nelson Mandela and human rights in the context of the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  In conclusion, Mr. Landers voiced unflinching support for the people of Palestine and Western Sahara, noting that no human being could enjoy any human right without the right to self-determination.  

LORD AHMAD OF WIMBLEDON, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, expressed rising concern over the situation in Syria, South Sudan, Myanmar, “North Korea” and Iran, and commended the work of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry for Syria in investigating and highlighting abuses and violations and urged members to support the renewal of its mandate.  The international, impartial and independent mechanism had begun to identify and build cases against those responsible.  The high-level panel on the violations of the rights of children should allow for discussion on the plight of Syrian children.  Positive trends had been observed in The Gambia and Zimbabwe.  The United Kingdom fully supported the Secretary General’s zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping operations and multilateral development.   Gender equality and freedom of religion were particularly important to the United Kingdom and it was observed that more than 130 million girls were still out of school so much remained to be done.  Daily reports on prosecution against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Christians, Jehovah’s witnesses, Shia Muslims, the Baha’I faith and others showed that the international community had to stand together in tackling those issues.  

IVAN KORČOK, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, expressed his shock at the murder of two young journalists in Slovakia, stating that it would spare no effort to bring the perpetrators to justice.  Slovakia had joined the Council for the second time with the same resolve to contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights.  The Council’s bureau was commended for its efforts to come up with a set of proposals to enhance and increase the efficiency of the Council.  Support for the independence and integrity of the mandate of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and his Office was indispensable in ensuring impartial, objective and effective scrutiny of States’ human rights records.  High Commissioner Zeid and his team were commended for the excellent work they did in advancing human rights and leading the battle for human dignity.  The fight against racism, xenophobia, intolerance, freedom of religion and the promotion of children’s rights were priorities of Slovakia’s membership in the Council.  In 2019, as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Chairmanship in office, Slovakia would strive for closer synergy to enhance respect for human rights.  Continuing human rights violations in Crimea and eastern Ukraine were of serious concern.  The Office of the High Commissioner was being denied access to the territory controlled by armed groups.

MIGUEL RUIZ CABAÑAS, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico, stated that the search for a more peaceful and prosperous world was behind Mexico’s actions in the United Nations.  Its sole goal was to contribute to the international protection of human rights, especially the rights of persons with disabilities and migrants, and to ensure the fight against terrorism, the abolition of the death penalty, and the empowerment of women.  Mexico faced challenges in the promotion of human rights, namely violence against women and indigenous peoples, trafficking of migrants and drugs, and threats against journalists, and organized crime.  The State, nevertheless, fought those scourges on a daily basis.  It had come up with protection mechanisms for human rights defenders and journalists, and it had adopted numerous measures to make human rights a reality throughout the country.  Governments could not ensure human rights in isolation; they had to have a free and active civil society to fight challenges.  Mexico welcomed international scrutiny as it reinforced the implementation of human rights in the country, and it took seriously the recommendations of human rights mechanisms.  Migrants were unjustly singled out as a reason for economic crises, even though they contributed greatly to the gross domestic product.  Mexico therefore rejected stigmatization and hate speech directed against migrants.

YOUSEF A. AL OTHAIMEEN, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said that he expressed the yearnings and hopes of more than 1.5 billion Muslims from 57 countries around the world that the Council would act swiftly on a range of human rights issues that were affecting their lives.  The Middle East remained mired in wars and violence: be it the conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq or other areas.  The horrors of regional and global political interests, riding on the waves of extremism and sectarianism, had played havoc in the lives of millions of the inhabitants in the region.  Hatred based on religion, particularly Islamophobia, still prevailed.  It should be faced on the international level.  One of the worst examples of Islamophobia was seen in the treatment of the Rohingya population in Myanmar.  The Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on Myanmar to fully implement the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Commission and relevant United Nations resolutions.  The Organization was also concerned about the continuous plight of the Palestinian people, and it urged the Council to continue highlighting their suffering under occupation.  It called for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute.  The Council should deploy greater efforts to safeguard economic, social and cultural rights, and ensure equal attention to all rights.  

HIRUT ZEMENE KASSA, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, said that since the last session of the Council, Ethiopia had enhanced its efforts to further consolidate socio-economic achievements that had impacted the enjoyment of human rights.  The Second National Human Rights Action Plan had been implemented, including the recommendations accepted from members of the Council in two previous cycles of the Universal Periodic Review.  Agreement had been reached on amending the Electoral Law which would allow for greater participation of citizens in parliament.  To build national consensus, the Government had pardoned leaders of opposition parties, journalists, bloggers and others convicted of incitement to violence and hate speech.  Swift measures had been taken to address the violence in the border areas of Oromia and Somali Regional States.  A special task force had been established to investigate individuals in two regional states who had incited the violence.  The Government was also ready to accept the findings of investigations into disturbances in two regions by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.  The level of violent disturbances necessitated the reinstatement of the state of emergency.

AHMED ABDULRAHMAN AL-JARMAN, Assistant Minister for Human Rights and International Law of the United Arab Emirates, stated that the United Arab Emirates continued to adopt strategies and plans marked by openness and reject discrimination and hatred.  They were aimed at the empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities, and strengthening education.  The United Arab Emirates also worked to strengthen labour rights, particularly domestic labour.  Women had to have a strong presence in political, social and economic decision-making centres.  That was reflected in the national statistics:  they represented 23 per cent of the labour force, and occupied 66 per cent of public sector jobs, and 30 per cent of leading decision-making positions.  Only political solutions in Syria, Yemen and Palestine could bring peace to the region, the Minister stressed.  The United Arab Emirates was making efforts to restore the legitimate Government of Yemen, while addressing the dire humanitarian situation in that country.  The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia had pledged $ 1.5 billion to cover half of the United Nations response plan for Yemen for 2018.  In Syria, regional interferences continued to undermine a political solution to preserve the unity and integrity of Syria.  In Libya, the United Arab Emirates supported reaching a national accord, which was the only option to move ahead with the political process.  The United Arab Emirates commended Iraq on its successes in the fight against ISIS, and it condemned continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

DARIUS SKUSEVIČIUS, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, voiced his concern about the general trend of deterioration of respect for human rights in conflict and crisis-affected regions and in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes.  Lithuania was also concerned about the growing trend of challenges in nations’ key obligations under international law.  Undermining such obligations always led, among other evils, to grave human rights violations.  Refusal by countries to cooperate with United Nations Special Procedures was one of the manifestations of this very alarming trend.  It was far more alarming that the instruments, that were established to enforce and advance the international community’s obligations - the Special Procedures - were being taken hostage.  Therefore, the most important question remained, was this the maximum effort that the world was willing to place, in order to secure the future for democratic values?  The Council was increasingly in need of a robust reform in order to enable it to deliver and bring about a tangible improvement of the respect for human rights of individuals in all countries and regions as well as on a global scale.  Civil society expected more from this body, and therefore, in turn, the international community had to do more to encompass the different values into united belief in the principle of the rule of law.  Lithuania called for a serious debate inside the Human Rights Council and at the United Nations in New York on the design and architecture of the necessary measures, but this should be done by strengthening the already established instruments that promoted human rights and in close dialogue with civil society.

MINATA SAMATE CESSOUMA, Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union, thanking the contribution of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that as a result of the cooperation between the African Union and the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, they had signed a memorandum of understanding, which allowed ensuring better protection and promotion of the human rights of people in Africa.   Several African countries continued to be the scene of violent conflicts, and witnessed an increased number of stateless persons, asylum seekers, refugees and other irregular migrants, both inside and outside the continent.  Those conflicts had a negative impact on the rule of law, and democratic participatory governance.  Development challenges were major causes of those conflicts.  Despite all those challenges, Africa had made considerable progress towards embedding a human rights culture and rule of law over the decades.  The first step in this direction was the adoption of the African Charter for Human Rights and Peoples of the African Union.  One of the three main points relating to Africa’s efforts to establish a culture of human rights in the continent was the deployment of human rights observers.  The Council of Peace of the African Union had called for the deployment of human rights observers to Mali.  That deployment was added value for the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the continent.

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